Focus: Prison's revolving door

Why are jails full nine years after the government pledged to redress the situation?

Gardai say they didn’t realise Marie Barrett was heavily pregnant when they arrested the 28-year-old Limerick woman to bring her to prison. Her crime was not paying fines totalling €230.

After spending the night of October 29 in Limerick jail, her labour pains started the following morning. Prison staff took her to maternity hospital but after they dropped her off, she vanished.

Barrett did not realise she had been released. Her sentences were three days, for not paying a €30 fine, and 15 days, for not paying a €200 one. They were running concurrently. But prison staff had taken pity on her and decided she did not have to return. The following night she went back to the hospital and on November 1 gave birth to a baby boy.

So why are heavily pregnant Irishwomen being locked up for not paying paltry fines? Gardai defend their handling of the case.